Rio’s renewed interest in SQM is welcome by the Chilean government, which had expressed concerns about a potential and dangerous concentration in the market should major lithium producers, such as China’s Tianqi, acquire the 32% interest in SQM.

Farmers shouldn’t be too concerned yet that the recent Agrium, Potash Corp of Saskatchewan merger will cause an increase in the price of fertilizer, at least according to the president of one provincial producer group.

Chinese firms have shown “broad interest” in buying PotashCorp’s stake in the Chilean lithium producer SQM, according to chief executive Jochen Tilk, who declined to name interested parties or the number of bids the company has received.